Crimping device.



G. H. LEWIS. RIMPING DE Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

e it known that I, Gnoncn H. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicopee Falls, in the county of Hampden and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCrimping Devices, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to improvements in the so-called crimping deviceswhich are used in the manufacture of inflatable tubes.

In the manufacture of inflatable tubes, such as single tube tires, forexample, it is common practice to place upon the valve stem, a ferrule.which is subsequently held in place by a crimping operation. After theperformance of this operation, it has been customary to inflate the tubefor test purposes. These two steps in the manufacture of an inflatabletube have heretofore, so far as I am aware, been performed separately.This invention has for its object to provide in connection with a deviceof the class described, means whereby the tube may be automaticallyinflated simultaneously with the performance of the crimping operation.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following descriptionand in the appended claims.

he invention, in an embodiment at present preferred, is shown forillustrative purposes in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a sectional elevation of a crimping device embodying the invention;

and

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional plan views thereof taken on the lines 22 and3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Referring to these drawings, the crimp- 111g device itself involvesmerely a circular series of angularly spaced jaws within which acylindrical stem may be positioned, and suitable means to force theseveral jaws sin'iultaneously and in a radial direction into engagementwith the stem to effect the crimping operation.

An illustrative example of one operable crimping device. with which theinvention may be employed. is shown in the drawings and will now bedescribed in detail. The crimping jaws are designated by referencenumeral 5. and such jaws are preferably integral parts of a commonring-like memher 6, there being relatively long inter- Speeification ofLetters Patent.

lower end of the Patented Dec. Application filed July 9. 1918. SerialNo. 244,008.

portions 7 between the er, which provide a certain amount of resilienc Yso that the jaws 5 tend to move radially outwardly from theirillustrated position. The ring 6, and thus the circular series ofangularly spaced jaws, is slidably mounted in a casing A, which may besecured to a by means of lugs 8. Inset into the upper end of casing Aand encompassing the series of jaws 5 is an annular ring 9, and th ingin the ring is frusto-conical to provide a cam surface 10 against whichthe outer surfaces of jaws 5 are thrust by'the spring action of thedescribed parts 7. Thus, as ring 6 is forced upwardly, the several jaws5 may be forced radially inwardly. The ring 6 may be moved upwardly incasing A by a. screw 11, which is threaded into the casing and abutswith a loose ring 12 which, in turn, abuts the jawcarrying ring 6. Thescrew 11 may be manually turned by means of a suitable lever 13 and aturning of the latter in the appropriate direction will lift ring 6 andtherebv cause the jaws to cam 10.

The crimping device described is commonly used in joining the valve stemto an inflatable tube. Thus, in the manufacture of a bicycle tire, suchas that indicated conventionally in cross-section at a in the drawings,one of the last steps in manufacture is to connect a valve stem 6 to thetire. Generally, the valve stem 6 is set into a hole in an integralnipple 0 which projects radially inwardly from the tire. The stem 5 isheld merely by friction in the nipple c and, for the purpose of making atight joint between the stem and nipple, a thin ferrule (Z is slippedover the stem and positioned so as to partially overlie the nipple. Thisnipple is thereafter squeezed together or crimped, to force the nippleinto tight engagement with the valve stem. This squeezing or crimpingoperation is accomplished in the crimping device described by insertingthe assembled ferrule. stem, and nipple in the opening between the jaws5 and thereafter turning handle 13 through a small angle. After theapplication of the ferrule (Z to the tube a, the latter is ready to betested. and as a step in the testing process the tube is generallyinflated.

mediate connecting aws and memb This invention is particularly concernedbe thrust inwardly by the with the provision of means whereby theinflation of the tube or tire may be accomplished automatically by andsimultaneously with the described crimping operation, as will now bedescribed. Instead of securing the operating lever 13 directly to theshank of screw 11, a sleeve 14: is interposed between these elements andsuitably secured to each. The lower end of sleeve 14 extends below thecorresponding end of screw 11 and is provided with a circular recess 15to receive and guide the cylindrical end of a valve casing 16. There isalso provided on sleeve 15 a depending L-shaped extension 17 and,

in that part of the latter which underlies the casing 16, is a set screw18 by means of which the casing may be held against the lower end ofscrew 11, and so held as to permit relative oscillation between thescrew and casing, if desired.

The member 16, and the parts contained therein, constitute what isgenerally termed a valve and the valve illustrated is a standardarticle, such as is commonly used on the delivery end of a flexible hosethrough which compressed air is supplied. Air is admitted to the casingthrough a hose 19. The exit end of casing 16 is normally closed by aflexible diaphragm 20 in the center of which is mounted a plug 21. Thelatter has an axial passage 2'2 at the base of which are intersectingtransverse passages '23 leading to the periphery of the plug. On thelower end of the latter is a head 24. which is held, by fluid pressure,tightly against the diaphragm 20 to prevent the escape of fluid by wayof passages 22 and 23. On depression of plug 21, the diaphragm will becompressed and communication between passages '23 and the interior ofcasing 16 will be permitted, whereby fluid may emerge through passage22.

The described screw 11 is hollow and loosely and slidably mountedtherein is a tube 25, the lower end of which rests on the top of plug21, and the base of the tube communicates with. passage 22. The upperend of the tube 25 terminates a short distance below jaws 5 andpreferably is countersunk, as indicated, to receive the outer or intakeend of valve stem 5.

In operation, the stem 1) with the ferrule d thereon is inserted betweenthe aws 5 and so positioned that the outer end of stem 5 lies in thecountersunk upper end of tube 25. The operator commonly holds the tube awith one hand to maintain the stem in the described position. Then withhis other hand the operator turns the operating lever 13 in suchdirection as to move screw 11 upwardly, and such movement of the screwcauses the jaws 5 to close in upon and crimp the ferrule (l, as alreadydescribed. The stem 5. being stationarily held by the operator, at leastduring the first part of the naeaoea rise of screw 11, prevents the tube25 from rising with the screw. The casing 16, however, travels with thescrew 11 and, therefore, the plug 21 will be'engaged with, and moveddownwardly by, the tube 25, whereby fluid from hose 19 is admitted tothe tube. The pressure of the fluid efl'ects the opening of the usualvalve in stem 7) so is inflated. After the tube has been inflatedsufliciently, the operator turns lever 13 in a reverse direction intoits original position and removes the tube, thus lifting stem 12 fromengagement with tube 25. The fluid pressure, acting on diaphragm 20 andhead 24, raises the tube 25 immediately upon its release and preventsfurther escape of air from the casing 16.

Thus, I have provided, in connection with a crimping device for use inperforming an operation in inflatable tubes, a means for automaticallyinflatingthe tube simultaneously with the performance of the crimpingoperation. The invention is characterized by the provision of meanswhich permit two operations, hitherto performed separately, to beaccomplished at the same time without that the tube I requiringadditional effort on the part of the operator.

The invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes 1n anembodiment at present preferred, but the scope of the invention isdefined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, movable jawmembers between which the valve stem of an inflatable tube may bepositioned, means to move the jaws against said stem, means engageablewith the latter when positioned between said jaws to supply fluid underpressure, said last-named means including a normall movement of saidjaws to admit fluid under pressure to said stem.

2. In a device of the class described, movable jaw members between whichthe valve y'closed valve operable on stem of an inflatable tube may bepositioned and held, means operable on longitudinal movement of the jawsto force them radially against the stem, means to supply fluid underpressure and having a part adapted to be engaged by the stem when thelatter is positioned within the jaws, the last-named means including anormally closed valve operable when the jaws are moved longitudinallywith relation to the stem to admit fluid under pressure to said stem.

3. In a device of the class described, a series of jaw members betweenwhich the valve stem of an inflatable tube maybe inserted, a hollowmember movable axially of said member to force the jaws radially againstsaid stem, a tube slidable within the hollow member and having its upperend disposed for engagement by the intake end of said valve stem whenthe latter is positioned between the jaws, and means to supply fluidunder pressure to said tube, said means including a normally closedvalve carried by said hollow member and operable when the latter ismoved relatively to the under pressure therein and thus into said stem.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing, a series of jaw membersslidably mounted therein and between which the valve stem of aninflatable tube is adapted to be inserted, a manuallymovable hollowscrew operable to move ally of the stem, means said members axioperable0n axial GEORGE H. LEWIS.

